Musical instrument



sept. 14, 1948. A, H, KIMMONS 2,449,124

MUSICAL INSTRUMENT Filed Aug. 26, 1946 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 AR 7110/? MANHONS I n vento r Sept. 14, 1948. A. H. KIMMoNs 2,449,124

Mus ICAI. INSTRUMENT Filed Aug. 26, 1946 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Attorneys Patented Sept. 14, 1948 UNITEDY STATESl PATENT OFFICE 2,449,124 'MUSICAL INSTRUMENT Arthur Horden. Kimmonsx,` Burgettstown, Pa.

Application AuguStZG, 194, Serial No. '693,104 i claiml (ci. ,ec-zen This invention relates to a novel construction of string instruments adapted to be played by means of a pick or plectrum, and which is especial-lyintended and adapted and capable of bei-ng'played to produce an accurate rendition of musical airs, either employing the instrument for solo work or as an accompaniment to other instruments or as an instrumental accompaniment to solo, group or choir singing.

More particularly, it is an object of the invention to provide a novel construction of threestringed musical instrument capable of being played with equal ease while noting the instrument with the left hand and picking strings with the right hand or while noting with the right hand and picking the strings with the left hand, to enable the instrument to be utilized with. the same degree of ease by either right or left-handed persons and without changing or affecting 'the location or tuning of the strings.

Still a further aim of the invention is to provide an instrument having a novel arrangement of sound openings in the body thereof and by means of which the sound volume of the instrument will be considerably magnified.

Still a further aim of the invention is to provide an instrument of the aforedescribed character of extremely simple yet durable construction and which is capable of being played in an accurate and pleasing manner with much less musical training and practice than is required for playing instruments of a similar character.

Various other objects and advantages of the inventon will hereinafter become more fully apparent from the following description of the drawings, illustrating a preferred embodiment thereof, and wherein:

Figure 1 is a plan view of an instrument constructed in accordance with the invention;

Figures 2 and 3 are cross sectional views taken substantially along planes as indicated by the lines 2 2 and 3 3, respectively, of Figure l;

Figure 4 is a longitudinal sectional view taken substantially along a plane as indicated by the line 4 4 of Figure 1;

Figure 5 is a fragmentary perspective View of the instrument, and

Figure 6 is a plan view of the pick or plectrum for use with the instrument.

Referring more specifically to the drawings, the musical instrument in its entirety is designated generally I and includes an elongated body 8 having a substantially flat top 9 and bottom I0 and a continuous curved side wall II. The parts 9, ID and I I combine to form the body 8 which is enlarged adjacent the tail endl thereof and rounded at said end, and tapered gradually toward vits-opposite, neck end. The top'wall 9 of thebodyv 8`, in the enlargedpart thereof, is provided With two 4generally S-shaped sound openings I`2, which are disposed lengthwise of the body, and the top wall 9 is also provided with a pair of circular openings I3 which are located between the openings lf2, andthe tapered, neck end of the body fI3. l

The instrument I is' provided with a finger bar I4. which is disposed longitudinally and centrally thereof and above the top Wall 9 and. which extends fr'om end to end of the body 8. As best illustrated in Figure 5, the finger board I4 is provided with depending end portions I5 and I6, which rest upon. the top 9, adjacent the ends thereof', for supporting the intermediate, undercut-,portion I'I ofY the finger board I 4' in spaced kapart'relationship; to and over the body 8. Said intermediate portion II is provided, substantially intermediate of the ends of the finger board I4, with a depending, relatively narrow support I8, which extends transversely thereof and which rests on the top wall 9. The finger board I4 is provided with a plurality of frets I9 which project upwardly from the upper surface thereof, which are disposed transversely of the finger board and which are located thereon from adjacent the neck end of the nger board to point spaced from the tail-piece end thereof.

The end of the finger board, contiguous with the portion I6, forms a tall-piece 2l] having fastenings 2| to which corresponding ends of three strings 22, 23 and 24 are fastened. The linger board portion I6 is provided with an upstanding transversely rounded part forming a bridge 25, which is located above the tail-piece 20 and which' is provided with openings or grooves 26 for receiving and correctly positioning the strings 22, 23 and 24, adjacent to the ends thereof which are xed to the fastenlngs 2I. The finger board I4 is provided with an upstanding, transversely disposed bridge 21 located adjacent the opposite end thereof and beyond the uppermost fret I9; said bridge 21 being provided with grooves 28 for -correctly positioning the strings 22, 23 and 24 thereon.

As best illustrated in Figures 4 and 5, the upper surface of the finger board I4 is provided with a longitudinally extending concave portion 29 which is disposed between the bridge 25 and the adjacent fret I9 and from which the strings are spaced a greater distance than from any other part of the nger board. As seen in Figure 4, the

upper surface of the nger board ld is inclined upwardly and away from the upper surface of the body 8 from its recessed portion 29 to the portion thereof to which the bridge 21 is secured.

A neck 30 is secured to and projects from the narrow end of the body 8, beyond the nger board end i5 and is provided with three tuning or string keys 3| each including sections connected by a worm and worm gear and to which the opposite ends of the strings 22, 23 and 24 are adapted to be connected to permit said strings to be individually loosened or tightened and thereby tuned.

The two outer strings 22 and 24 are adapted to be tuned to the same note, to B and the cenvention ashereinafter defined by the appended claim.

I claim:

In a stringed musical instrument, a finger board adapted to extend from end-to-end of an elongated sounding box and supported thereby and disposed thereabove, said finger board having string supporting bridges rising therefrom adjacent each end thereof, a plurality of upstanding frets rising from said finger board and located between said bridges, said frets being dis- Y posed transversely of the nger board in longitudinally spaced relationship to one another from ter string is tuned to G. In playing the instru# ment 1, as for example, by a right-handed per- Y son, the instrument may be placed across the lap with the neck 30 adjacent the left hand and the musician then employs his left hand for noting the strings between the frets I9, preferably by the use of a match stem. A pick or plectrum 32, as illustrated in Figure 6 is grasped in the right hand and is used for picking the strings at a point over the recess portion 29. In playing the instrument, only the center G string and the near B strings are picked. A lefthanded person may place the instrument 1 across the lap in the opposite direction so that the right hand may be used with the match stem, not

shown, for notingthe strings and the left hand used with the plectrum 32 for picking the strings, in which case the other or near B string 2d would be employed with the center G string 23.

The plectrum 32 is preferably formedirom an animal horn or from material of a similar nature.

Various modifications and changes are contemplated and may obviously be resorted to,without departing from the spirit and scope of the inadjacent one end of the nger board and terminating a distance from the other end thereof, the upper surface of said nger board being provided with a concave portion located adjacent the last mentioned end thereof and between the bridge at said end and the adjacent fret of the finger board and the upper surface of said iinger board being inclined upwardly and away from the uppersurface of the sounding box from said concave part to the rst mentioned end of the finger board.

ARTHUR I-IORDEN KIMMONS.

REFERENCES C'IED The following references are of record in the fue of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 351,111 Kaspar Oct. 19, 1886 587,089 Duck July 27, 1897 651,304 Eriksen June 5, 1900 761,693 Moore June 7, 1905i 961,883 Morris June 21, 1910 973,719 Consoli Oct. 25, 1910 1,364,217 Surratt Jan. 4, 1921 1,834,804 Puoina Dec. 1, 1931 

